97 Our goal is to reduce our emissions by 67 per cent by 2030 and that means that 65 per cent of our fleet will be zero-emission vessels. Norled has led the way with new zero-emission solutions, and MF Ryfylkeferjen is part of that.” In another industry first, Norled took delivery of MF Hydra, the world’s first ferry running on liquid hydrogen (LH2), in July 2021. This technology demonstration project was conceived to prepare the ground for any future ship that will use hydrogen as a fuel and its progress is being watched with interest by other operators. “We believe future projects for ferries in Norway will depend on LH2 production in Norway,” says Wolden. “Hydrogen is best to use on longer ferry stretches where batteries cannot be charged regularly.” The operator’s customer, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, is an important stakeholder in all stages of planning for LH2-fuelled ferries. MF Hydra can also sail using batteries as an alternative to the proton-exchange membrane fuel cells running on LH2, which means the ferry’s environmental impact will be zero. This is an important aspect of the company’s long-term strategy. “Norled aims to be a leading player within sustainable maritime solutions,” says Wolden. “Sustainability is an integrated part of our activity, strategy and plans. It’s our goal to cut our carbon dioxide emissions by 67 per cent by 2030 through boosting the share of low- and zero-emission vessels in the fleet from four per cent in 2019 to 65 per cent by 2030. We aim to be a zeroemission company by 2040.” Norled plans to reach this goal by working together with strategic partners such as propulsion systems providers, automation companies and energy carriers. In addition, the company is spearheading a battery swap system for express boats in order to ensure that they also become zeroemission vessels. “Our battery swap system, SHIFTR, enables us to sail on electricity but maintain the high speed we are used to with express boats,” says Wolden. From a staffing perspective, Norled is working to be a leader in equal representation at work for its crew. “We are working to attract more women to the industry, where the goal is a 50 per cent proportion in the onshore organisation management, and 30 per cent proportion in the company by 2030,” says Wolden. Norled’s liquid hydrogen-fuelled ferry, MF Hydra
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